Vegan Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

Ingredients

• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 eggplant (chopped)
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 2 tsp Ras El Hanout
• 1 tsp cumin
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1-2 tsp Harissa Paste (or to taste (or sub ajvar for a less spicy version))
• 14 oz chopped tomatoes (1 can)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (or coconut sugar)
• 8 1/2 oz chickpeas (1x14 oz can drained)
• ½ bunch parsley (chopped (+ more to garnish))
• juice of ½ lemon (or more to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• sesame
• pomegranate seeds
• mint

Method

1. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add the eggplant, sprinkle with salt and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly golden. Add a splash of water and stir until it has almost evaporated. Then cover the pan and set aside.6 min timer
2. In another pan, heat the rest of the oil and sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Then add the red bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes until it begins to soften.3 min timer
3. Add Ras El Hanout, cumin, cinnamon, tomato paste and harissa paste and cook for a minute while stirring, until fragrant. Then add the eggplant back to the pan, and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes, veggie broth and maple syrup. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.20 min timer
4. Add chickpeas, parsley, lemon juice, and pepper to taste and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the eggplant is really soft.5 min timer
5. In the meantime, cover the couscous with boiling water and set aside until is has absorbed all of the water.
6. Serve your chickpea stew over couscous and garnish with sesame, parsley, pomegranate seeds and mint or other desired toppings. Enjoy!